Sutera plant named ‘Danova780’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Sutera  plant named ‘Danova780’, characterized by its compact, mounding and low spreading plant habit; moderately vigorous to vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; and relatively large white-colored flowers.

Botanical designation: Sutera cordata.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DANOVA780’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Sutera plant, botanically known as Sutera cordata and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Danova780’.

The new Sutera plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Moshav Mishmar Hashiva, Israel. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact and freely branching Sutera plants with numerous large flowers.

The new Sutera plant originated from an open-pollination in March, 2010 in Moshav Mishmar Hashiva, Israel of a proprietary selection of Sutera cordata identified as code number 09-1202, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Sutera cordata as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Sutera plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Moshav Mishmar Hashiva, Israel in November, 2010.

Asexual reproduction of the new Sutera plant by vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Moshav Mishmar Hashiva, Israel since December, 2010, has shown that the unique features of this new Sutera plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Sutera have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Danova780’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Danova780’ as a new and distinct Sutera plant:

-   -   1. Compact, mounding and low spreading plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous to vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Relatively large white-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Sutera can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Sutera differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Sutera are more compact and mounding in         plant habit than plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Sutera are more freely branching than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Sutera flower earlier than plants of the         female parent selection.     -   4. Plants of the new Sutera are more freely flowering than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   5. Plants of the new Sutera have larger flowers than plants of         the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Sutera can be compared to plants of the Sutera ‘Dancop25’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,747. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Moshav Mishmar Hashiva, Israel, plants of the new Sutera differed primarily from plants of ‘Dancop25’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Sutera were more compact and mounding in         plant habit than plants of ‘Dancop25’.     -   2. Plants of the new Sutera were more freely branching than         plants of ‘Dancop25’.     -   3. Plants of the new Sutera flowered earlier than plants of         ‘Dancop25’.     -   4. Plants of the new Sutera were more freely flowering than         plants of ‘Dancop25’.

Plants of the new Sutera can be compared to plants of the Sutera ‘Dancop28’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,551. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Moshav Mishmar Hashiva, Israel, plants of the new Sutera differed primarily from plants of ‘Dancop28’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Sutera were more mounding in plant habit         than plants of ‘Dancop28’.     -   2. Plants of the new Sutera were more freely branching than         plants of ‘Dancop28’.     -   3. Plants of the new Sutera and ‘Dancop28’ differed in flower         color as plants of ‘Dancop28’ had light blue-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Sutera plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Sutera plant.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Danova780’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Danova780’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the spring in 11.5-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Bonsall, Calif. and under cultural practices typical of commercial Sutera production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 24° C., night temperatures ranged from 13° C. to 16° C. and light levels averaged 7,000 foot-candles. Plants were pinched two times and were six weeks from planting when the photograph and the description were taken. Plants were grown under long day/short night photoinductive conditions. In the description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Sutera cordata ‘Danova780’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Sutera             cordata identified as code number 09-1202, not patented.         -   Male or pollen parent.—Unknown selection of Sutera cordata,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About seven to ten days at             temperatures ranging from about 18° C. to 32° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 10 to 15 days at             temperatures ranging from about 13° C. to 26° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at temperatures ranging from about 18° C. to 32° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About one             month at temperatures ranging from about 13° C. to 26° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact, mounded and low spreading             plant habit; moderately vigorous to vigorous growth habit.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit; when pinched, about             twelve lateral branches develop per plant.         -   Plant height.—About 8 cm.         -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 28.5 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 17 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 2 cm.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Texture.—Pubescent.         -   Color.—Close to 146A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 1.8 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.7 cm.         -   Shape.—Orbicular.         -   Apex.—Rounded.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Crenulate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Sparsely pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate, arcuate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 146A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 146B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 147A; venation,             close to 147B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 137B; venation, close to 137B.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent. Color, upper             surface: Close to 137A. Color, lower surface: Close to 137C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement.—Single rotate and salverform flowers;             freely flowering habit with potentially about 65 flower buds             and flowers developing per lateral branch; flowers face             mostly upright to outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Early flowering habit, plants             begin flowering about four weeks after planting and flower             continuously from the spring until the autumn in southern             California.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about five to seven days on             the plant; flowers persistent.         -   Flower diameter.—About 1.8 cm.         -   Flower length (height).—About 1.1 cm.         -   Throat diameter.—About 4 mm.         -   Tube length.—About 9 mm.         -   Tube diameter, at the base.—About 2 mm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Shape: Obovate. Color: Close to 145C.         -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five per flower in a             single whorl; fused at the base. Lobe length: About 8 mm.             Lobe width: About 8 mm. Lobe shape: Orbicular. Lobe apex:             Obtuse, rounded. Lobe margin: Entire. Texture: Petal lobes,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Throat:             Pubescent. Tube: Pubescent. Color: Petal lobes, when             opening, upper surface: Close to NN155D. Petal lobes, when             opening, lower surface: Close to NN155B. Petal lobes, fully             opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to NN155D; venation,             close to NN155D; color does not change with development.             Throat: Close to 163A; venation, close to 157C. Tube: Close             to 161B to 161C; venation, close to 157B.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five per flower in a             single whorl; fused at the base. Length: About 8 mm. Width:             About 1 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower             surface: Pubescent; minute. Color, upper and lower surfaces:             Close to 146A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Angle:             About 30° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Pubescent; minute. Color: Close to 146B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity of stamens per             flower: About four. Filament length: About 9 mm. Filament             color: Close to 157D. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length:             About 2 mm. Anther color: Close to 163B. Amount of pollen:             Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 17C. Gynoecium: Pistil             length: About 1.1 cm. Style length: About 9 mm. Style color:             Close to 145D. Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color: Close to             145A. Ovary color: Close to 144A.         -   Seeds & fruits.—Seed and fruit production have not been             observed on plants of the new Sutera. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Sutera have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from about 1° C. to about 35° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Sutera have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Sutera     plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Sutera plant named ‘Danova780’ as illustrated and described. 